Pakistan Declares Open War on Taliban After Wave of Bombings in Afghanistan

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a critical point following a series of airstrikes and ground assaults, which Pakistan has termed an "open war" against terrorism. Islamabad, which for decades maintained complicated relations with the Taliban, now accuses Kabul of providing shelter to terrorist groups destabilizing Pakistan's internal security. The Prime Minister of Pakistan stated firmly that "the state's patience has been exhausted," resulting in attacks on at least 22 locations deep inside Afghan territory. Military operations have focused not only on border areas but have also hit key urban centers, including the country's capital, Kabul. The relations between the two countries are determined by the dispute over the Durand Line, a border demarcated by the British in 1893, which successive Afghan governments have never recognized, leading to decades of armed incidents and diplomatic tensions.The situation on the front is changing dynamically. The latest communications from the Pakistani army indicate that the number of killed "terrorists and Taliban" has risen from an initially reported 274 to over 330. Meanwhile, witnesses in Jalalabad report powerful explosions that shook the city on Saturday morning, indicating the continuation of the offensive despite international community appeals for restraint. The Italian humanitarian organization Emergency reports an atmosphere of fear among the civilian population, who fear a return to the darkest years of armed conflict. In response to the escalation, the foreign ministries of many countries, including Italy's Farnesina, have called on their citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately. „Our patience has come to an end. We will not allow terrorism to be exported from Afghan soil into our territory.” — Prime Minister of PakistanDespite earlier threats of retaliation, Taliban representatives have begun signaling a willingness to engage in talks to prevent further bloodshed. This is a significant change in rhetoric compared to the first hours after the airstrikes, when Kabul accused Pakistan of a blatant violation of sovereignty and aggression. However, experts point out that the conflict is exceptionally tangled due to regional connections and the interests of powers like China, for whom destabilization in this region is particularly inconvenient due to infrastructure investments. In 2021, after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, Islamabad initially hoped for a calming of the situation on the border. However, increased activity by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group led to a sharp deterioration in mutual relations.